The Best Electric Salt And Pepper Grinders, According To Reviews

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Salt and pepper are the two most quintessential spices — the bread and butter of the spice world, you might say. Nearly every recipe includes at least a little bit of salt — and if you want a nice savory meal, you can bet there's going to be some black pepper in there, too. But if you're busy with a fast-paced recipe, you might not have as much time as you hoped to grind out salt and pepper by hand. Maybe you just can't get the spices on your fried egg before it cooks or have trouble grinding while you're stirring your risotto at the same time.

Well, electric grinders are the solution to you. With the press of a button (or the flip of a grinder), electric grinders will automatically grind and dispense salt or pepper to your liking. They're kind of the kitchen tool you never knew you needed — they might sound unnecessary, but once you have an electric grinder, you'll never go back.

That's why we put together a list of the very best electric salt and pepper grinders around. Using reviews and bestseller lists from some of the top kitchen product stores, we found the most highly-rated electric salt and pepper mills you should definitely try. Whether you go for battery-operated or rechargeable salt and pepper grinders (yes, there is such a thing), these are all the best options for electric spice grinders.

These salt and pepper grinders from Trudeau, a more than 125 year old kitchen equipment producer, are highly popular at Williams Sonoma. Actually, they aren't just popular, they are the top seller for electric salt and pepper grinders at the home kitchen store.When you're looking for quality electric salt and pepper mills, you want ones that are guaranteed not to break or die quickly, which is a main problem with many electric grinders. Fortunately, the Trudea model doesn't have this problem — both grinders are rechargeable.

Another bonus is that these electric grinders don't require you to push a button to start them — just turn them over and they'll automatically begin dispensing seasonings. This is useful when you've already got your hands full while you're cooking. They even come prefilled with all the salt and pepper you'll need to start seasoning right away. The grinders are made from ceramic, which means they are corrosion resistant and built to last. 

Purchase Trudeau Electric Rechargeable Salt and Pepper Grinders at Williams-Sonoma.

This is another electric grinder bestseller of Williams Sonoma – and it's also just as popular at a competitor of the kitchen goods store. With over one hundred positive reviews on Crate & Barrel, it's clear that most buyers really love their electric grinders from Cole & Mason.

These grinders also come with small lights on the bottom so you can see exactly how (and where) your spices are being dispensed. A single button on the top of each grinder will control when you want the electric mill to start crushing. The seasonings produced are churned up by a carbon steel grinder in the bottom of the stainless steel casing.

Most reviews agree that these grinders are impressively long-lasting. The one minor con that some reviewers have pointed out is that the grinders don't hold quite as much salt and pepper as you might be used to. However, most reviewers can still agree that this detail doesn't mean they're not worth buying. Another thing to note is that these salt and pepper grinders will require six batteries each — but fortunately the low battery usage means you won't have to constantly replace them.

Purchase Cole & Mason Salt and Pepper Grinders at Williams-Sonoma.

Sur la Table's electric grinders are quite the drop in price from many of the other options on this list. For just $80, you'll get a set of two grinders. Better yet, these salt and pepper grinders often go on sale on Sur la Table's official website.

On that same website, you'll find close to 400 reviews for the salt and pepper mill set — and most of them are positive. You can change the grind size for each mill individually, while a button at the top will turn the dispenser on and off. Like many on the list, this set also has lights built in to the bottom of the salt and pepper grinders for easy viewing.

Some reviewers have admitted that these salt and pepper grinders have one problem, which is that some times they seem to arrive defective. While that certainly sounds like a major issue Sur la Table has a prompt exchange policy to replace any defective salt and pepper grinder. You can also purchase a one-year warranty through the website for under $10, which might be a wise idea. It should be noted that most reviewers haven't reported problems with their electric grinders, and instead share only that their Sur la Table salt and pepper grinders perform exceptionally well at evenly distributing a find grind on the seasonings in question.

Purchase Sur la Table Electric Salt & Pepper Mill Set at Sur la Table.

The Cuisinart electric grinders can hold a lot of salt and pepper, which is a bonus for those who don't like refilling their spice jars. For just $35 on Amazon, you can get a two-piece set — and it's one that comes with around 100 positive reviews.

To use the Cuisinart grinders, you just need to flip them upside down and they'll automatically start dispensing. This will also turn on a light at the bottom of the dispenser for making sure you're depositing the perfect amount of spice. You'll also find that the grind size for each mill is adjustable.

There are a few problems with these grinders that reviews have called out — namely that the grinders are a little loud, and also that some models have stopped working for customers soon after receiving them. If you've got a lemon, fortunately you can return it to Amazon (or Cuisinart, if you buy it from its website) after you receive the item. Also note that you'll need to have 12 batteries on hand if you want to use these grinders, as they each require six. Unfortunately, this is relatively on par with many electric grinders.

Purchase Cuisinart Gravity Salt and Pepper Spice Mill at Amazon.

The Zwilling grinders are another attractive set that isn't stainless steel (both mills are ceramic) — instead, the set comes with one white and one black grinder. By far the best part about these grinders is that they are both rechargeable. You'll charge them via a USB cord that comes with the set — so while they don't have a charging tray, they are still easy to plug in. Don't think that they're going to make a mess just because they don't have a dedicated tray, either — each grinder comes with a top that you can replace and remove when you use them to keep extra spice granules contained.

Like many electric grinders, you'll find a button for turning the electric grinder on and off, a twist-dial to change the grind size, and a small clear window at the base of the grinder that will tell you when you need to refill it on each grinder.

While reviewers say that the charge on both the salt and pepper grinders lasts a fairly long time, some have also pointed out that it's frustrating the grinders don't come with an indicator to let you know when they're running low. This means that — if you're not plugging them in consistently — you could be out of options for spicing up your food without any notice.

Purchase Zwilling Salt and Pepper Mill Set at Amazon.

So, how did we find the very best electric salt and pepper grinders out there? The first step was to check popular home kitchen supply brands for their bestsellers on each brand's individual website. You'll find most of the very best salt and pepper grinders listed as bestsellers on multiple websites, which left very little up for debate when it came to the most popular electric grinders.

We also made sure to choose primarily grinders that had a lot of reviews. Believe it or not, you're not likely to find very many good electric salt and pepper grinders out there — so when there's a grinder set that stands up to the home kitchen test, we've heard about it. We checked reviews across multiple websites (especially those that don't filter their reviews, such as Amazon) to find the real bestsellers. 

Just to make sure, we also checked the one-star reviews and matched those up with store return policies. If some reviewers had dud grinders right out of the bag, that wasn't an automatic disqualifier, since a few supply chain issues are bound to happen here and there. However, consistently negative reviews that weren't just about shipping or accidental breakage did knock a few salt and pepper grinders off the list. 

We looked only at electric grinders, whether they were rechargeable or battery operated. Grind adjustability, long battery (or charge) life, durability, and aesthetics were the primary factors we considered.